Nightmare Dove Arc

"The brew is thickening, and will soon be ready yet," Zecora stated, spinning her wooden stirring rod in the now purple and green solution, a small amount of steam rising from the cauldron. "Keep practicing your skills, the time will soon be set."

Anthea leaned in toward Golden Delicious. "And how did that make you feel, leaving the farm like that?"

Golden Delicious bent himself down slightly. "A bit scared, but determined. First time in Canterlot, thought my heart was about to thump right out my chest. Meeting Creme didn't help with that. I actually bit my tongue when I first saw her since I was samplin' one of my apple substitute ratatouille. I thought I'd get Claire to introduce us, but she just came up and... and..." Del stopped. He turned his head upward. "I wonder where she is now. It hasn't been too long since I lost saw her... in Canterlot..."

"She's probably thinking about that ratatouille right now," Anthea said. "When the time comes... We could all bake some for her. We could all have a competition! You'll probably win, especially since I don't think I'd even be able to find the oven."

"She'd like that..." Del resumed. "And I wouldn't count you out just yet. There's probably some sort-of ratatouille makin' spell you're keepin' up your hooves."

"Oh, I'll never tell..."

"What are you looking at?" Prism Bolt questioned. Crystal Clarity peered at him through sharpened eyes.

"You've been the source of a great deal of my problems as of late," Claire explained in a single, even tone. "But... I suppose that is irrelevant at the moment."

"Um... alright."

"So," Claire continued, readjusting herself to a pleasant demeanor. "I suppose... How are you and Whirlwind doing? I heard you two broke up some time ago."

"With Whirlwind... things are actually pretty friendly right now. Like they used to be. In fact," he leaned in to a harsh whisper. "I think she wants to start going out again."

"Uh-huh," Claire responded with a nod. "And what are your feelings toward her?"

"I think I might take her up on it, but... I dunno, there's this other mare I think I might be into. This pegasus from Fillydelphia. We met during the Best Young Fliers Contest and--"

His jaw suddenly pelted backward as Claire's clenched claw impacted against his chin.

"What was that for?!" he cried.

"Sorry!" Claire sincerely apologized, retreating her claw back. "That was a reflex."

"Then why are you still snarling?!"

"That is also a reflex."

"Forget this!" Prism shouted, quickly rising to a stand and turning for the door. "I'm heading home. You all do what you want."

Zecora stepped down from her cauldron as Prism lent his hoof to the door. "Leave here as you may," Zecora started. "Though at this time, we should not bring delay. Though it is difficult to say what is best or worst--What is important is that you do not stop trying to prevent hurt."

Prism paused a moment, then pushed through the door and out into the Everfree. Starburst sighed, and in the lull of the moment, scooted back from Golden Delicious and stood up as well.

"I'm gonna take a walk," she explained. "I'll try to be back within an hour."

She leaned to the door and trotted out, the top of her mane passing visibly by the lower half of the left window. Everypony looked amongst themselves, with Anthea lifting herself to a stand.

"I'll try talking to her," she stated. Turquoise motioned to follow, but Anthea lifted a hoof of reluctance. "It'd probably be best if it's just me. I'll be fine. I've walked to Zecora's alone before, and the path around here is safe. I'll be with Starburst too, so don't worry, okay?" She motioned her last line to everyone, though Turquoise especially. She cautiously motioned her way to the door, and entered through it into an amalgamation of abstracted browns and greens. She blinked, then pivoted her head left to find an orange blob not far from the large brown smear of a house beside her.

"Starburst!" she called, catching up to the blob's side. The blob slowed itself somewhat as she did, and kept pace beside her as they walked. "Sorry," Anthea stated, Starburst's head noticeably forcing itself somewhat upward from its previously introspective position. "I wanted to talk to you..." She hesitated, but resolved to continue. "About Dove, and everything."

Starburst continued on in silence. Anthea softened her features.

"It's not your fault. I don't know very much about what you're going through, but I know enough to tell you that."

"I'm not so certain," Starburst plainly stated. Starburst continued walking. Anthea awaited more, but found her head only tilted down for an extended silence.

"...Dove and you were very close?" Anthea mildly prompted. Starburst skewed her face.

"...Yes?" she questioned, half to herself. She rose her eyes above, focusing on the darkened green branches and the spiral of vines dangling down. "If we'd been close, would she have told me what was wrong?" Starburst kept her vision trained on the branches and directed her voice there to ensure Anthea didn't feel the need to answer. Starburst bit her lip. "I suppose that's why she didn't, actually. Being close to someone... wanting to open up to them, but finding you can't because they're too weak or too stupid to understand..." Starburst's eyes began welling up and small droplets strolled down her cheeks. "Weak and stupid... like me..."

Starburst felt Anthea's mane rest against hers, and she shut her eyes as she indulged in the comfort near her head while the rest of her body remained in tempestuous sorrow. Her tears flowed, but calmed as Anthea gripped her shoulder, and slowly diminished as Anthea softly pressed her chin against her. Starburst breathed rhythmically, and lightly tapped Anthea's side, to which Anthea slackened and receded. Starburst's snout sniveled, and she wiped her wetted eyes, then continued walking once more. A timid smile resolved itself across her mouth.

"You know," Starburst began, her eyes trained to the mud below. "I've always been really jealous of you."

Anthea's hooves followed by her side. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's hard to explain why, but even now... I know everypony back there is probably talking about how you should carry the gem. And they're right. You--"

"Starburst, stop," Anthea flatly stated. Anthea's ears were perked. Starburst paused, and raised her neck and ears in a similar fashion. Beneath the forest's silence, a quiet rumbling sounded ahead, growing louder and louder and quaking the earth below and trembling the trees.

Anthea shifted herself to Starburst. "Star! We need--"

Her voice broke as a stampede of the Everfree's animals stormed through them. Starburst's head rolled in the blur of bug-bears and serpents among others stomping on the surrounding dirt and what she assumed to be her body; difficult to register as no pain or any sensation had yet set in as it rose and dropped over her. She clenched her teeth and told it to remain still as the remaining horde passed by and over. The sounds continued on and on, until they finally moved into the distance and left the surrounding mud and dirt to still. Starburst reopened her eyes. The area was clear, yet somewhat of a haze in her vision. She steadied her head, her body somewhat immobile, and lifted her extended wing as best she could manage. A pink unicorn lay beneath it, her shut eyes and scathed form resting quietly below the roughened orange feathers. Starburst breathed, and let her sore limbs go limp beside her.

From the muddied earth, she searched for a grasp on her surroundings, and found the haze still loomed in the area. It was denser now; a whitish mist which flowed along the ground and about and through the dirt and trees. Starburst tilted her muddied head about, until she found a set of legs standing behind her, at the thickest of the white fog. Starburst seemed to forget her pain as she trained her eyes on the white unicorn.

"Starburst," Dove said, melancholy in her face and voice. "I'm so sorry..."